October 8, 2010 In Uncategorized

friday night dinner parties…

…are so fun. Especially when it was your roommies birthday this week so you’re celebrating and your other roommie has made Beef Bourguignon. Hello Julie Child! I’m making 2 ridiculous chocolate desserts (recipes stolen from 2 gal pals of mine.) I was also gifted a yummy bottle of Pinot Noir after an interview with a winery today (I know score!- right?) I’m fairly confident the night is going to be a blast and it hasn’t even started yet.

Did I mention I’m on a diet and that I’m a vegetarian?

Yeah, yeah, insert laughs here.

I’ve never had many recipes to share, but this one is a must-pass from my friend Holly if you are a chocolate lover like me. Double chocolate Oreo dessert balls:

Buy:
*Chocolate or vanilla baking bark (baking chocolate bars of some kind, 4 large bars.)
*1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened.
*1 pkg. Oreo cookies

Then:
Melt chocolate in double boiler and add solid vegetable shortening, ½ tsp. at a time as needed to make the mixture smooth. (Do not add liquid oil or water as the chocolate will clump). Chop the entire package of Oreo cookies with a food chopper or put in large Ziploc bag and crush them. Mix with cream cheese. Scoop out balls of mixture using a small scoop. Place in freezer until firm (30 min. to 1 hr.) Dip in melted chocolate, one a time, and place on parchment paper or wax paper until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Freeze the balls until they are solid, dip them and get them out of the chocolate right away.)

Other tips:
If you do some them in white chocolate, you can drizzle some dark chocolate over them to make creative designs.

Sweet! (In every kind of way.)

Let the dinner party begin.

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October 6, 2010 In California, De-lish, Photos

c casa su casa?

I’m coming up on 4 weeks in Napa and things are ROLLING. By that I mean I have met a ton of incredible people, had some of the best food and wine I have ever in my life and now have had an absolute awesome furry of work stuff rushing in too. Obviously all that takes me away from here but fear not- that is part of the plan.

BLR is getting a facelift (in more ways than one), I now have a few clients for my financial and life organization project, and I’ve got other work in addition to that too. I like paying my bills and I totally suck at sitting around doing nothing so this delicious bit of total productive and learning chaos is just what I’ve been looking for.

I might just take over the world. If only more hours were in a day.

Here’s a photo of my REEEEEdiculously delicious taco from lunch today in between running around like a madwoman at C Casa in the Oxbow Market in Downtown Napa:

Taco lunch at C Casa, Oxbow Market, Napa

Finger potatoes, fresh tomatoes, queso fresca, cilantro and ahh….

Can I tell you how amazing it is to have so many noshing spots that use compostable products and serve grass fed meats, and locally grown stuff? Can I tell you how much I need to sign up to start racing again and up my miles? There’s no getting away from feasting around these parts- ack! (Not that I am trying that hard to get away…) My dreams of being a size zero are so not happening in this lifetime. (Insert fake sigh here. I’m actually not that disappointed about that.)

Back to work I go. I had to quick post this deliciousness…

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October 5, 2010 In California, People, Photos

meet lowell

Lowell was bellowing “Popcorn for beautiful ladies!” through his popcorn bucket megaphone as my friend and I walked by his stand on Friday night:

Lowell at Cheers St. Helena

He had us at popcorn. We got some of course. He cracked me up, so I asked if I could take a picture of him. “Only if you will be in it with me!” he said.

We couldn’t argue with that:

Erin, Lowell and I at Cheers St. Helena

Strangers that make me laugh, Cheers St. Helena to kick off the weekend and good company in the packed streets of an adorable little town in wine country- I love it!

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